Grease shield for skillets



GREASE SHIELD FOR SKILLETS Filed Aug. l2, 1949 JNVENroR. HAQQYv-LvvlLLlTvL-Iy A-ranu EYs Patented Sept. 21?, 1952 :This inventionrelates to grease shields, vand more particularly to a shieldmountableon-an oljrdinary `skillet to ,prevent` grease from spatteringfrom theskillet onto objects and surfacesfadjacent the skillet vor ontoa personusing the skillet.

kIt is among the objects lof the invention to provide animproved greaseshield of simplified,

one-'piece construction which can be easily and' economically'`manufactured from readily available sheet material, such as Duralumin orstainless steel, and will extend at least half-way around a skillet andfrom the rim of the skillet to a location substantially above the centerthereof, which is easily adjustable to t skillets of several differentsizes, which iits entirely within the skillet so that grease cannot dripfrom the shield to the outside of the skillet, and which is mountable onthe skillet by merely placing it thereon, yet will not accidentally falloi of the skillet during use.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a considerationof the following description and the appended claim in conjunction withthe accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a skillet with a grease shieldillustrative of the invention operatively mounted thereon;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the skillet and grease shield illustratedin Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of a fragiii mentary portion of theskillet and grease shield Y on the line 3-3 of Figure 2. With continuedreference to the drawing, the numeral I0 generally designates a skilletof ordinary construction, and the numeral II gener ally designates thegrease shield of the invention' shown operatively mounted on the skilletI 0.

The skillet I 0 has an annular side wall I2, and

a bottom wall I3, and the edge of the side wall, opposite the bottomwall constitutes a rim which may or may not have a bead or flange I4formed thereon. A handle I5 is secured at one end to the side wall I2 ofthe skillet and projects radially therefrom.

As explained above, the skillet-I0 is of wellknown construction andconstitutes no part of the present invention, except in the combinationthereof with the improved grease shield.

The grease shield II is a body of thin sheet metal, such as Duralumin orstainless steel, hav? ing at least a moderate degree of resiliency, and,

isVarcuately-curved in one direction on a radius approximately the sameas the radius of curvaturev of the rim of the skillet on which theshield is to be used tov include an angular interval of ap prcximselyisoaegrees.- frmsbody has asub-r stantiallystraighttop .edge I6, fandhas an outwardly-deflected wing, as indicated at II'and I8; at eachlendthereof:y 'Ihe bottoniV edge I9- of the shield-is arcuately. curvedand inclined toward the top edge I6 from the mid-length location'ofthebottom edgetoward each ofthe wings I I and I8, so thatwhenzthe'fshield is operatively-posi` tionedon a Yslrilletfeasillustrated in Figures 1 and-v2', it will incline inwardly andupwardly'vfro'm the rim of the skillet. l

Two tabs 20 and 2| of U-shaped cross-section extend outwardly from thebottom edge I9 of the shield body at spaced-apart locationssubstantially symmetrically disposed relative to the midlength locationof the bottom edge of the shield to receive the rim of the skillet. Eachof these tabs is elongated longitudinally of the bottom edge I9 of theshield and has its bight portion positioned somewhat above the bottomedge I9, so that when a skillet rim is received in the tabs, the bottomedge of the shield will be disposed within the skillet and somewhatbelow the skillet rim, so that any grease dripping from the shield willdrip back into the skillet, and not outside of the skillet. v

The material of the shield is preferably slotted, as indicated at 22, atthe inner side of each tab, and at each end of each tab, so that thetabs vare connected to the bodyr of the shield by integral lower andupper corners, respectively, so that y the shield presents nov sharpcorners or angles which could possibly injure a person using it.

The body portion of the shield can be slightly bent, as well as the tabs20 and 2|, to increase or reduce the curvature of the body portion by anamount suiiicient to cause the shield to t skillets of several diiferentsizes and once the shield has been shaped to properly t a particularskillet or frying pan, it can be mounted on the skillet or Afrying panby merely placing it thereon and, because of the construction andarrangement ofthe tabs and the wings of the shield, will notaccidentally fall oil :the skillet during use. Ob-

viously, the shield may be placed atany .desiredv angular positionaround the rim of the skillet and, when removed from the skillet, it isextremely easy to clean and requires little space for storage. Theinvention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing fromthe spirit or essential characteristics thereof. 'I'he presentembodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects asillustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention beingindicated by the appended claim ratherlthan by the foregoingdescription, and all changes which come within the meaning and range ofequivalency of the claim are, therefore, intended to be embracedtherein.

What is claimed is: Y

A skillet grease shield comprising a one-pi ece body of sheet metalarcuately curved `in one direction on a radius of curvature slightlylessthan i l the radius of curvature of the rim of a lskillet on whichthe shield is to be used, said body having a length suilicient toinclude an angle of approximately M30-degrees and having ,spaced-apartmeans along oneedge formountingit on the rim cfa' skillet so that` it isdisposedalmost entirely within the skillet rim, said` one edge beingarcuate ly curved so that said shield will incline upwardly andinwardlyfrom a skillet rim von `Whichit is mounted, and said means for mountingsaid shield on therim ofra skillet 'comprising a pair of elongated tab'sof U-shaped cross-section extending from the convex side of said shieldat said one edge of the latter and disposed at opposite sides of themid-length location of said one edge, and outwardly-deflected wingsdisposed one at each end of said body and recessed at their endsadjacent said one edge of said body to receive a skillet rim.

HARRY H. WILLITS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the vfile ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTSl Number Name Date 220,364 Fowler Oct. 7, 1879429,169. Durgy June 3, 1890 848,698 l Smith Apr. 2, 1907 849,228 GiesselApr. 2, 1907 884,870 Sikes Apr. 14, 1908 1,017,753 Harrison Feb. 20,1912 1,381,248 Stevens June 14, 1921 1,384,120 Craft July 12, 19211,682,095-7 Reyther Aug`.' 28, 1928 1,865,736 Astley July 5, 19322,148,181 Andreolo `Feb.l 21, 1939 2,198,158 Fletcher Apr. 23, 1940FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date Y 160 Great Britain Jan. 3, 1907101,512 Great Britain Sept. 28, 1916 Great Britain May 29. 1935

